Biology:Pelecinus polyturator

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Short description: Species of wasp

Pelecinus polyturator
IC Pelecinus polyturator.JPG
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Pelecinidae
Genus: Pelecinus
Species:
P. polyturator
Binomial name
Pelecinus polyturator
(Drury, 1773)

Pelecinus polyturator is a species of wasp in the family Pelecinidae. The large (up to 7 cm) glossy black insects are the most common and well-known members of the family. The adults drink nectar, and they live in crop fields, woods, and suburban gardens throughout North, Central, and South America. Their antennae are long and the females have an elongated, cylindrical, articulated metasoma. They are parasitoids that lay their eggs directly into grubs of the June beetle (genus Phyllophaga) buried in the soil. The adults can be found in the late summer.

Some populations of Pelecinus polyturator are parthenogenic; females do not require fertilization by males to reproduce. Females are common throughout its range, but males are rare in the United States and Canada specially in some populations, and more common farther south.[1][2]

References

  • Baker, P. Eastern Forest Insects. By Whiteford L. Baker. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Forest Service, 1972—description, habits

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q14406347 entry